"About 30,000 to 40,000 Liao troops have entered the hinterland of Suzhou. While besieging Tieshan Fort and Nanshan City, they are trying to build the city." Zhao Xingde stood beside the sergeant who was chanting the flags and looking into the distance. The wind was fierce on the top of the city, and the torches held by the soldiers were whistling, and the flames pine smoke rushed straight into people's faces. Although the torches can replace the small flag, only two shaking spots can be seen in the distance. They must put their movements slowly to recognize what the other party said.

After waiting for the soldiers to "speak out" this sentence in the flag language, he continued: "The city has sufficient ammunition storage. Seventy-six died in battle and more than two hundred injured. Two trenches were filled up. The enemy troops in the attacking city can rush to the city directly. However, the city is strong and morale is available, so there is no need to worry about it." After a while, Zhao Xingde stopped and looked south, pondered and said, "Three days ago, I saw the Liao army dragging giant cannons on the ice. Recently, I am afraid that they have arrived at the foot of Laotie Mountain. The giant cannons weigh hundreds of kilograms... In another month, the sea ice begins to melt. The navy should check the thickness of the sea ice every day. If the Liao army insists on stationing troops in the south of the city, it may use artillery to cut off its retreat route, slowly get tired and fight back."

The sky was still dark, and in the wilderness outside the city, the fires gradually increased. It was the Liao army who was making fire, but not making rice, but preparing oil tea and milk tea. The Khitans were born in bitter and cold places, and their diet was different from the Han people. Fruits, vegetables, wild vegetables, and other foods were frozen outdoors. When they wanted to eat, they were soaked in cold water and then eaten after the ice was melted. As for carnivorous cheese, this is even more so. Cattle, sheep, rats, rabbits, etc., they often slaughtered cattle, sheep, rats, rabbits, and a little cut into the bloody flesh and liver, and then ate wild garlic and pickled vegetables. Because the food was cold and greasy, the Khitans loved drinking tea very much, and almost became a place where they loved tea as their lives. Tea has always been the most important goods in the trade between the Liao and Xia and Song dynasties.

After a hurry to have breakfast, the Liao army troops left the camp and headed to the city of Nanshan to set up a formation. In the south of Suzhou, about 10,000 Liao troops were attacking Tieshan Fort, and more than 30,000 people built a large camp in the hinterland of Suzhou. However, the completely frozen land made the Liao army almost unable to build a strong city. It took a lot of effort and could only build a wall of wooden stakes. More than 20,000 Liao troops guarded each artillery base. The small soldiers in Nanshan City were small, but more than 400 cavalry, who took advantage of the ease to go out to attack the city. Once, the Liao army's defense was a little relaxed and almost stepped on the most important artillery base by the Han cavalry. Xiao Tachi was furious for this and ordered the digging of trenches to guard the Han cavalry in front of the two artillery bases. Another 2,000 palace tent troops were divided into camps next to the artillery bases. However, the Han cavalry never tried to attack the Liao army's artillery bases.

"The power of the iron barrel cannon is actually above the bandits, but the accuracy is not good. If we move the cannon forward, or even within three or four hundred steps near the city wall, it will definitely greatly improve the accuracy of the stone bullet. But if the cannon moves forward, it will enter the range of the bandit cannon on the city. The thief's artillery is extremely accurate, and it will almost hit it if it is fired within three or four hundred steps. Our iron barrel cannon is heavy and it is inconvenient to avoid it, so......,"

In the central army's tent, Xiao Tachi was chewing sheep liver while listening to the report of Wu Chun, the chief supervisor of the artillery battalion. Because the giant iron barrel cannon hit the city wall too few, Xiao Tachi had already reprimanded him several times, and the punishment became more and more severe. Wu Chun felt a chill on the back of his neck, and had to come up with this solution. Seeing that Xiao Tachi was not up to the question, Wu Chun continued, "In the eyes of the last general, although the bandits' iron barrel cannon was accurate, the cannon was light and its power was not enough. If a large shield car could be built to cover the outside of our army's iron barrel cannon, the shield cart was dragged with cattle and horse, and the front and top were covered with giant trees, the bandit's cannons would be difficult to penetrate. Our army cannons could reach within 300 steps of the city wall, and fired cannons nearby. A few hundred kilograms of stone bullets only needed to hit a few more times to knock the city wall."

After Wu Chun reported, Xiao Tachi happened to eat a piece of sheep liver, with blood still on his mouth. He looked at Wu Chun and said, "In another fifty days, the sea ice will melt. How many people will it take to build this shield? How many days will it take? How many days will it take to collapse the Nanshan city wall?" His pupils turned green, as if a wild cat was staring at the prey. Wu Chun felt sweating on his back, so he had to bite the bullet and said, "If Lord General gives 5,000 people to work, it will be completed in about twenty days. It will take two days to pull it to the city. If it comes true, it will only take a few days to collapse the city wall."

"Thirty days," Before he finished speaking, Xiao Tachi stretched out three fingers and shook them in front of Wu Chun's eyes, "I'll give you thirty days. If the Nanshan city wall does not collapse, Wu Dujian, you can go to attack the city yourself." After saying that, he waved his hand, signaled that Wu Chun could retreat, picked up the oil tea and took a sip, closed his eyes, and suddenly recalled the words of his grandfather, "War is like hunting yellow sheep, don't be afraid of suffering, surround the enemy from all directions, be patient like a wolves, watch out like an owl, and rush to the enemy like a white eagle, and leave no way out for the enemy."

"Nanshancheng, Zhao De," Xiao Tachi held the horn cup tightly in his hand, "No matter how powerful you are, you can only be my prey."

Since joining the Liao Kingdom, Xiao Tachi has been very proud of killing the deposed emperor Yelu Yanxi, and was recruited by Yelu Dashi as his son-in-law. He fought to the north and killed countless Jurchen villages. At the age of twenty, the commander of the commander's army was divided into two north and south routes. The emperor personally led the army to seize Huanglong Mansion and Huining Mansion, and swept away the remnants of the Jin Kingdom in the area of ​​the Huntongjiang River. He captured the strong Jurchens to the south, leaving the Liao army to guard the north, and conquered the Northern Jurchen King to the north. After conquering the Han army commander's mansion, he swept through Kaizhou, Laiyuan, Zhengzhou, Hengzhou, and intimidated the Jurchen tribes in Taibai Mountain and Yalu River, intimidated the Goryeo Kingdom, and conquered the Southern Jurchen King's ruler's ruler.

Although Yelu Yanshan was frustrated, Xiao Tachi didn't care much. In his heart, the capture of Nanshan City was not even the beginning. He didn't expect to encounter such a hard opponent here. Not only that, the offensive of the entire southern camp was extremely unsatisfactory, and most of the people moved to the north of the Chunmen River, Kaizhou, Zhengzhou, Hengzhou, etc., all empty cities, and there were no people at all. Or it was a hard nail like Nanshan City. If such conspicuous thorns could not be pulled out, it would be ridiculous to search for the remnants of the enemy throughout the mountains.

Xiao Tachi was deeply favored by His Majesty. He was trapped by a small Nanshan City in charge. Many Khitan generals in the camp were obedient on the surface, but they were also a joke. Although the Khitans were regarded as Hu people by the Southern Dynasties, they had a sense of superiority to other Hu tribes in their bones. At this moment, the Xia Kingdom attacked Xijing Road. Bo Shenghuo Meerbo, who was originally regarded as a barrier to the west by Yelu Dashi, actually led his troops to flee without fighting. Although Yelu Dashi did not count this account on Xiao Tachi's head, whenever he thought of this, Xiao Tachi felt deeply humiliated.

"Father, are you really such a coward?" He was thinking in pain that the personal soldiers outside reported that someone was going to offer a plan to conquer Nanshan City. Xiao Tachi returned to his face as heavy as water and sent an order to bring the man up.

Nanshan City failed to conquer many times, Xiao Tachi offered a reward in the camp. If anyone offered advice to conquer the city, he would reward 30 kilograms of gold and 300 slaves. If he had no official position, he would be appointed as the chief manager of the craftsman camp. Under the heavy reward, there would be a brave man. The personal soldiers brought this man in. He had a deer-headed and rat-headed head, a sharp mouth and a monkey cheek, and a rat-beard on his lips. When he saw Xiao Tachi, he knelt down on his left knee and said, "Little man Ge Lu, kowtow to the prince-consort."

Xiao Tachi looked at him and asked, "What are your plans?"

Ge Lu was somewhat flattered and said, "Report to the Lord, the villain belongs to the Water Dragon Team of the Houjun Camp." The Houjun was a place where food and supplies were accumulated. He was once a surprise attack by the Han army, and almost burned out the food and grass of the army. Later, he specially added water dragons to prevent fire. Xiao Ta nodded red and did not speak.

Ge Lubing said: "The fire broke out in the front and rear army camps, and water dragons were used. Because the weather was very cold, the water had just been poured down, and it froze to ice." Seeing that he was irrelevant, Xiao Tachi couldn't help frowning. While Ge Lu spoke, he looked at Xiao Tachi's face secretly and said hurriedly, "The villain had an idea and came up with a way to break through Nanshan City. Although this Nanshan City is strong, it is narrow inside, and there is no way to drain water. If hundreds of water dragons are used to water the Nanshan City, it will be a weather that dripping water will turn into ice awls. Guan Bao will naturally break without fighting."

After Ge Lu reported, he knelt carefully on the ground while secretly looking at Xiao Tachi's face. Xiao Tachi frowned and looked suspicious, but he still asked: "According to your method, how many people will be used, how many days can we break the city?" Ge Lu hurriedly said: "There were more than fifty water dragons in the camp. If there were hundreds of work slaves working, and then mobilizing some essential materials from nearby prefectures and counties, more than one hundred water dragons should be ready in more than ten days."

"Then it's twenty days," Xiao Tachi stretched out two fingers. In fact, he didn't fully understand what Ge Lu said, but as long as there was a way, it didn't prevent him from trying it out. "Twenty days later, the army will attack the city, and I want your water dragon to follow you! If the water dragon is useless, you will attack the city with other soldiers."

"Yes, yes." Ge Lu nodded repeatedly and asked hesitantly, "then..."
Chapter completed!