On the snowfield, there was a vast expanse of white, seemingly deserted.
Hong Shitou and his five thousand elite Chu troops were hidden in this snow.
The sledge was covered with snow, which made it even warmer inside. The Chu soldiers lit a charcoal grill inside the sledge, which not only kept them warm, but also allowed them to eat hot food and drink hot water, which was very comfortable.
The only thing that is unbearable is the smell inside the sledge!
The feet of these soldiers from Quyang are all standard cowhide and iron-nailed combat boots. They are much more comfortable to walk on than simple straw sandals and cloth shoes. They also have a certain protective effect and can be considered warm in winter.
The only problem is - these boots are very cuffy!
Once you take off your boots before going to bed, the inside of the sledge will be enveloped in a strong smell of sweaty and stinky feet...it's really torture!
There is no attention to personal hygiene conditions here - the soldiers can only cover their noses, laugh awkwardly at each other, and rub their smelly feet with snow water, trying to slightly reduce the smell of sweat.
While picking his toes, Hong Shitou lazily said to Huang Wu: "The Qin army has always been stationed at Danyu Camp, and there is no sign of retreating."
"This shows that the Qin people will definitely deliver another heavy supply in a short time."
"Our army is waiting here, we will surely gain something!"
The snowfield where five thousand elite soldiers were hiding was about twenty miles away from the last ambush point - Hong Shitou decided to score a 'double score' for the Qin army here.
Huang Wu frowned: "Even if the Qin people want to send supplies again, they will definitely strengthen their defense greatly."
"You took advantage of the Qin people last time... Are you so confident this time? Are you confident that you can defeat the main force of the Qin army?"
Although Huang Wu was from the Song Dynasty, he also knew the fierce fighting power of the Qin army.
In his understanding - Quyang's disciples are indeed very strong, but they may not be the opponents of the Qin army's main soldiers.
The evil reputation of the Tiger and Wolf Qin Army has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the past few decades.
Hong Shitou was happy and didn't answer - Huang Wu didn't understand how rigorous the training of the Quyang New Army was, and how high the morale was when fighting (especially fighting against the Qin people)... Every soldier of the Quyang New Army was I won’t doubt my own fighting ability!
…
Ying Xiao led a huge team of 5,000 cavalry and 10,000 civilians - a total of 15,000 people, escorting a long convoy of baggage, heading in the direction of Danyu.
Five thousand cavalry! This is five thousand main cavalry!
After Shang Yang's reform, the State of Qin gradually reduced the number of chariot units that were difficult to train and expensive to build when training the new army, and chose to vigorously promote the training of elite cavalry.
The cost of building an old-fashioned chariot unit is extremely high - the entire chariot is made of copper and iron (it should be noted that in the Warring States Period, copper and iron were real cash), and the axles require decades of mulberry wood... The construction of a single-passenger chariot The cost is roughly equivalent to twenty years of taxes for ten households.
Even if it is a big country, there are only a thousand chariots in the whole country - such a country is called a 'country of a thousand chariots'.
Because chariot troops are expensive to build and difficult to replenish, throughout the history of the Spring and Autumn Period, there are often examples of battles where dominance can be determined in one battle.
For example, the "Battle of Chengpu" between Jin and Chu is a famous example of "one battle determines victory or defeat."
Compared with the chariot soldiers, Qin's new main force of cavalry is faster and more flexible on the battlefield. They can often defeat the enemy quickly by outflanking, detouring, cutting off logistics and other means - in later generations, this method of warfare was called It's called a 'pincer offensive'.
And it is not difficult for Qin to train such cavalry.
First of all, Qin has no shortage of horses. The horse farms on the northern grasslands can provide a large number of excellent war horses that the southern countries are coveted.
Secondly, Qin also has no shortage of skilled knights.
A considerable part of Qin's population is the naturalized and obedient Rongdi people. These Rong people are skilled in bow and horse and are an important part of the Qin army's cavalry.
In recent decades, the Qin Army's elite cavalry has become famous all over the world and has shocked all countries - some people describe the Qin Army's cavalry as "holding a human head on the left and a prisoner on the right". They probably have disheveled hair and a long string of heads hanging around their waists. The image of class and brave charging.
Five thousand cavalry, what is that concept?
For a weak Warring States period like Korea, five thousand cavalry were enough to make the King of Korea bow his head and sue for peace!
Today, Ying Xiao is proud and proud!
If those despicable Chu people dare to appear again, then let them taste the power of Great Qin's cavalry!
It's a pity... they are destined not to dare to come again.
As long as the general of the Chu army on the opposite side is in his right mind, he will not dare to take the initiative to provoke him after seeing the 5,000 main cavalry.
Ying Xiao thought about this and sighed with some regret.
It seems that it will be difficult to avenge the shame in a short time...
…
Hong Shitou turned his wrist slightly, and the four soldiers around him stretched their necks and twitched their noses slightly.
On the fire, a fat piece of beef brisket was roasting.
Of course, this beef was taken from the previous batch of baggage of the Qin army... The cattle, horses, mules and donkeys pulling the cart were slaughtered by the Chu army. Of course, this meat cannot be wasted.
The beef brisket sizzled with fat as it was licked by the flames. The texture of the beef is clearly visible and the quality of the meat is clearly excellent. The light red meat juice inside was roasted out, and as Hong Shitou slowly turned his wrist, it dripped into the fire, making a sizzling sound.
The smell of meat overwhelms the smell of feet inside the sledge.
Hong Shitou glanced proudly at the dumbfounded soldiers beside him, took out a cloth bag from his arms, carefully placed it on his lap and opened it, fearing that his hands would shake and scatter on the ground.
salt!
During the Warring States Period, the price of salt was also very high!
Hong Shitou picked up a pinch of salt and sprinkled it evenly on the beef brisket... The aroma of the meat seemed to be more intense.
The four sergeants who were sharing the same sledge with Hong Shitou laughed and came forward obsequiously, gearing up: "General Hong Qian, General Hong Qian..."
After being together for such a long time, they are quite familiar with each other - although the Hong Qianjiang in front of him looks rough and often speaks vulgarly... But once you get to know him, you will find that he is actually a very easy person to get along with.
A mixture of good words and flattery coaxed Hong Shitou into a happy mood. Then he took out the sword from his waist, cut the huge piece of beef brisket into five equal parts, and distributed them generously to the sergeants.
The sergeants were so happy that they immediately began to feast on the food, praising them as they ate——
"Not only is General Hong Qian's martial arts unparalleled, but his grilled meat is also so delicious! He is truly an all-rounder!"
"General Hong Qian is truly a role model for our generation!"
"In the last ambush battle, General Hong Qian charged forward, beheaded the general and captured the flag. He was extremely brave... I think even our General Shaohu may not be so brave!"
"General Hong Qian..."
…
Hong Shitou felt relaxed and happy, and he was still modest on his lips, but in fact, he was bubbling with beauty in his heart.
Just at this moment, a soldier opened the sledge tent and poked his head in, his face full of excitement! It's like a hungry wolf seeing a lost lamb!
"General Hong Qian!"
"The Qin people are here! The Qin people are here again!"
…
