The sledge team advanced rapidly on the snow - this strange force did not show its flag, but silently walked through the white snow.
The sledges were covered with white tents, and the livestock were also covered with white cloths for concealment... If you didn't look carefully, it would be difficult to notice this strange soldier.
Of course, no one would pay close attention.
From the confrontation between the Qin and Chu armies, there have only been small-scale frictions and fights, and the two armies have already begun to relax their vigilance.
Hong Shitou closed his eyes and rested his mind, secretly praising the sledge in his heart.
This sledge makes less noise than a tank, and is much more comfortable than a tank!
Recall that those chariots would bump up and down even when driving on the smoothest road...but this sledge is different!
Driving on the snow is very smooth!
In addition to Hong Shitou himself, the sledge where Hong Shitou was sitting also contained four soldiers. At this moment, these four soldiers had their armor and weapons aside and were laughing quietly in a relaxed manner.
Inside the sledge, a small copper stove is radiating warmth - charcoal is burning inside.
Don't worry about keeping warm - the sledge is loaded with grain and fodder for livestock... In addition, the most prepared thing is charcoal.
As for drinking water, there is no need to worry at all - there is snow everywhere. Just grab a handful of snow, put it in your helmet and set it on the stove. After it boils, you will have hot water to warm your whole body.
All in all - the supplies carried on the sledge were enough for them to stay outside for more than fifteen days.
The only thing that made Hong Shitou feel a little uncomfortable was that the space inside the sledge was relatively small. People, weapons, charcoal, and food were almost crowded together, mixed with the smell of feet... It was a bit hard to bear!
But this is pretty good! Resting inside the warmth of a sledge is much better than trudging through the snow!
The soldiers poured the boiling water into the pottery bowl and enthusiastically handed it to Hong Shitou's mouth: "General, drink some hot water to warm yourself up."
Hong Shitou hummed, opened his eyes, took a sip of hot water, and felt warm all over... The soldier smiled again, and diligently handed over a piece of bread filled with dried meat...
The bread is also baked on the fire, and the outer skin is browned and crispy.
There are still many salt grains on the dried meat inside, which was smoked in the fief before the expedition. It's charred, chewy, and full of meaty aroma. It's the best military ration to quickly replenish your physical strength.
Hong Shitou took it, drank it with hot water, swallowed it in three gulps, and couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction.
Cool!
After eating and drinking enough, his body was warm, and he immediately felt sleepy... Hong Shitou curled up and fell asleep in an awkward position.
…
"General Hong Qian, wake up quickly, there's a situation!" A soldier shook Hong Shitou awake.
Hong Shitou opened his eyes in a daze, and immediately felt some pain in the back of his neck... The sleeping position just now was not comfortable, maybe he had a stiff neck?
"Why did the sledge stop? Have you reached the ambush point?" Hong Shitou asked in confusion.
"Reporting to General Hong Qian - I just bypassed the Qin Army's Dan Yu camp, and now I encounter the Qin Army's scouts... Do you want to fight or not?" The soldier lowered his voice, appearing nervous and excited.
Hong Shitou immediately perked up, lifted a corner of the sledge tarpaulin, grabbed a handful of snow and rubbed his face, waking up instantly.
In the distance, dozens of Qin soldiers were trudging through the snow, driving a row of empty vehicles.
Qin Jun's black armor is particularly conspicuous in the snow!
Hong Shitou subconsciously wanted to eat the Qin army in front of him...but he immediately changed his mind: "Hide it, don't expose it!"
"As long as the Qin army doesn't discover us, let them pass!" Hong Shitou warned.
It was Hong Shitou who led this surprise attack on the grain road. Now that the general's order has been issued, although the new soldiers hate the Qin people deeply, they can only suppress it.
The Qin Army team disappeared from the end of sight, completely unaware that they had just passed death.
Huang Wu appeared silently next to Hong Shitou, and explained with an expressionless face: "General Hong Qian, the ones just now should be the Qin army's teams fetching water and cutting firewood."
Hong Shitou frowned - he still couldn't figure out why this mysterious Commander Huang always appeared and disappeared suddenly like a ghost.
"Keep moving forward." Hong Shitou waved his hand, and the sledge team began to move forward again.
Through the Qin Army team we just encountered, we have already tested the concealment of the sledge - white sledges, horses covered with white cloth... Now the sledge tent is covered with white falling snow... just like each one in the ice and snow. It's just like a small snowpack, it doesn't attract any attention.
Six hours later, five thousand elite soldiers had arrived at the preset ambush location.
After walking on the muddy and snowy road for at least three days, the sledge took only half a day.
Hong Shitou ordered in a deep voice: "Wait where you are and stay hidden. No one is allowed to leave the sledge tent unless ordered by me."
"Pay attention to ventilation in the sledge tent! Don't get poisoned by charcoal fire just for the sake of warmth."
"Send out twenty sledges, spread out, as scouts."
"If you encounter the Qin Army's baggage team, or if you find that the Qin Army Dan has made any changes in the camp... you must come back and report it as soon as possible!"
The afternoon passed like this.
At night, snowflakes began to fall again... The soldiers dug warm snow nests for the livestock, so there was no need to worry that the livestock would freeze to death.
Snowflakes covered the sledge... The five thousand elite soldiers seemed to have completely disappeared from the snowfield.
…
The commander of the Qin Army's rear army, Ying Xiao, personally led the team and escorted the convoy loaded with grain and grass to the direction of [Danyu] with difficulty.
Transporting baggage in the winter is really a difficult task.
In particular, among the 80,000 Qin troops stationed in Dan Yu, a full 30,000 were cavalry... The amount of fodder that more than 30,000 war horses chewed every day was an astronomical figure.
Ying Xiao cursed in his heart - Damn Chu people, damn Xiong Wuliang!
We have to start the war in winter!
As a result, labor and management were unable to make a living all winter, and escorted the grain team back and forth countless times.
After all, we are also the sons of the Great Qin royal family, although our bloodline is a little far away from the direct royal family... The cold wind is biting, and it penetrates the bones in the wilderness... If I have this time, why don't I warm myself by the fire in the mansion in Xianyang?
It's all Chu people's fault!
Grandma, when the spring comes, I will follow my superior to chop off 50,000 Chu heads... I will definitely kill your headless corpses to vent my anger!
Ying Xiao spat angrily - he knew that the spit would soon freeze.
The snow fell on the head and was quickly melted by the body temperature. The cold snow water seeped into the bun, and flowed down the collar to the neck... The cold wind blew in, and it soon formed into ice.
It’s such a shame!
If you think about it carefully, this is already Ying Xiao's seventh round trip!
It is said that the State of Qin also wanted to transport all the food and grass baggage for a winter at once... But the problem was that this battle was fought suddenly, and there was no way to prepare in advance the baggage that could be used by an 80,000-strong army for a winter. While fighting, they searched for food and grass and transported them to Danyu one by one.
Ying Xiao was in a bad mood. He clutched his collar and ordered in a hoarse voice: "Speed up!"
"We have to get to Danyu Camp before dark tomorrow!"
…
