As the Turks approach step by step, Datong City, the frontline of the war, is busy. Tens of thousands of young people and craftsmen from all over Ganzhou used simple horse-drawn carriages to transport logs from the Ruoshui River, stones and grain from rafts into Datong City. People near Datong City rushed to help and moved logs and stones onto the city wall.
At the south gate of Datong City, a group of grain trucks consisting of hundreds of flatbed carriages transported bags of military rations into the city.
Zhang Xutuo happened to be leading a team to patrol at the gate of the city. He quickly ordered the soldiers to make way for the grain trucks to enter the city.
Liu Quan, the governor of Ganzhou, flew forward and saluted, saying: "For this humble post, please see Zhang Sima."
Although Liu Quan was a civil servant, he was a general in the past. He knew what materials the soldiers needed most when the army was fighting, so he personally took on the heavy logistics tasks and constantly traveled back and forth between Zhangye and Datong.
Zhang Xutuo returned the courtesy smile and said, "Prefect Liu, how much grain did you transport to Datong City this time?"
"Yang Mincao said that Datong City needs to prepare for war. He asked us to send 200,000 shi of food, which is enough for the soldiers and civilians of Datong City for a year. Fortunately, there is a weak river, otherwise we would not be able to complete this task." Liu Quan pretended to complain. He said with a smile: "It's easy for him to say it 'old man', but my legs have become thin, Zhang Sima can make up for it for me."
Zhang Xutuo smiled heartily: "I wonder what compensation Liu Governor wants?"
The Sui Dynasty has always been domineering and bloody when it comes to dealing with foreign races. If you don't mess with me, I will happily not mess with you. If you come to invade, then be prepared for revenge. Therefore, the usual style of the Sui army is to stabilize first, and then retaliate against the foreigners with a hundred times more brutal means. This was the case in the most difficult period in the past, but now it has no worries.
The food transported from Zhangye County was not only food for the soldiers and civilians defending the city, but also food for the Sui army during its counterattack. As long as the army persisted until the Turks retreated, the Sui army would choose the opportunity to attack.
As for failure and loss, the soldiers and civilians of Datong City have never considered it.
"I don't want any material compensation." Liu Quan looked at Zhang Xutuo expectantly, "I haven't fought in a long time. Can Zhang Sima let me also defend the city?"
Zhang Xutuo was also a military commander and understood the mood of the governor who was "forced into politics". He smiled and asked, "What will happen to Ganzhou's government affairs if Governor Liu also goes to the battlefield?"
Liu Quan smiled bitterly and said: "Ganzhou used to be a mess, making me one head and two big. But after Gao Gong became the chief historian of Liangzhou, he simply sorted it out, and the government affairs of each state became clear and organized. Well organized, I, the governor of Ganzhou, feel extremely relaxed and leisurely. I don’t have to worry about anything, and I don’t even have to do anything. In just a few months, I have gained nearly ten pounds. Moreover, the civil servants in the general manager’s office are so It's amazing. Compared with them, I feel like I'm a waste. Instead of being a big fat pig, it's better to pick up my old job and continue to lead troops to fight."
Zhang Xutuo laughed loudly: "As long as Liu Governor arranges the government affairs well, then I, Zhang Xutuo, have no reason to object."
"Thank you so much!" Liu Quan was overjoyed. He didn't care to talk to Zhang Xutuo anymore. He turned his horse and ran towards the grain transport convoy. He couldn't wait to go to his adjutant to explain the mission. At the same time, he ordered his soldiers to go back to Zhangye to get his Weapons, armor.
When all the grain transport teams passed through the city gate, another large group of flatbed carriages slowly drove up. There was a lot of wood on the flatbed carriages. These were parts of catapults built outside the city. Because the tall catapults could not enter the city gate, So they were all shipped to the city wall for assembly.
Twenty catapults were originally deployed on the north wall of Datong City, but the wall that needed to be defended was relatively long, and these twenty were obviously not enough, so Zhang Xutuo increased the number to fifty; just in case, he also planned to deploy it on the south wall. Thirty, once the North City and Wengcheng are lost, the army will retreat to the South City wall to fight.
Zhang Xutuo immediately stood in an open space and watched the convoy slowly entering the city. He found that these craftsmen and the people who came to help were young and strong, and their exposed upper body muscles were shiny and shiny in the sun.
A group of quarrymen passed by him, talking and laughing, their gray tendons swollen.
This gave Zhang Xutuo an idea, that is, to recruit these people as reserve soldiers. With a little training, they will definitely become a powerful army. Moreover, the people of Ganzhou are strong and they can all ride horses and shoot arrows. If they are in During the counterattack, these people will also participate, and they will definitely be able to hunt down more Turkic soldiers and further expand the results of the battle.
"Zhang Sima." Zhang Dinghe rushed forward to report: "The messenger has just sent news that the civilian men brought by Wei Licao and Wang Gongcao from Xiedan County will arrive tonight."
Xiedan County is located in the east of Ganzhou, with Liangzhou to the east and Shanzhou to the south. The Dadou Valley Passage that Yang Ji wanted to build was in Xiedan County. During this period, Li Cao Wei Yunqi traveled around the Qiang people in Ganzhou. Zhaizi, with his sharp tongue, persuaded tens of thousands of Qiang people to work.
When these Qiang people were building roads, the General Manager's Office kept their word and paid their wages every half month. After several months of doing this, the court's credibility had been firmly established.
When these Qiang people who were close to the imperial court had all their doubts about the imperial court, they not only built the road with peace of mind, but also helped Wei Yunqi persuade some Qiang villages that were swaying or hostile to the construction, thus allowing the General Manager's Office to work Ministry' gets more labor.
Now that war clouds have enveloped the land of Ganzhou, and hundreds of thousands of enemy troops have put great pressure on Zhang Xutuo, he ordered Wei Yunqi and Wang Cong to bring workers who were willing to fight to Datong City. As long as they performed meritorious services, they would be Get the same rewards as soldiers.
Most Qiang villages are located on the edge of mountains. They rely on mountains to eat and water to drink, and their living conditions are extremely difficult. They have fought hunger and cold, poisonous insects and ferocious beasts for generations, and have developed a tough temperament that is no weaker than that of the Turks.
Because the imperial court gave them a copper coin and a tael of grain when they were building roads, the Qiang people had great trust in the imperial court, which represented the orthodoxy of the world. When they heard that the imperial court was recruiting soldiers, those brave workers applied one after another.
Wei Yunqi and Wang Cong eliminated the old and weak, selected 20,000 warriors, and rushed them to Datong City.
Zhang Xutuo did not have many troops, and he was always worried that the Turks would attack day and night. If the soldiers were tired, they might not be able to defend for long.
Not only did there now be more than 10,000 more laborers, but this group of 20,000 Qiang warriors was also about to arrive, which immediately gave Zhang Xutuo full confidence in this war.
"Report." At this time, a veteran cavalryman came from the north and saluted from afar: "Report to Zhang Sima. The scouts in front have sent urgent military information. The Turkic forward has moved south."
"Where are the Turkic forwards? How many people are there?" Zhang Xutuo had already heard that the Turks had completed their assembly, so he was not surprised by their arrival.
"Return to the general, the enemy's forward has passed through the grassland south of Shangde Mountain, and the number is about 50,000."
"Fifty thousand?" Zhang Xutuo looked at the scouts here and asked, "Is this Bujia's army?"
"The forward consists of 30,000 servant soldiers and 20,000 Turkic soldiers."
"Gather all the generals to the official office to discuss matters." Zhang Xutuo ordered his soldiers and rode towards the official office.
"Here."
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